EPILOGUE: The Hard Worker of Sakurasou
by WildZephyr
Summary: A year has passed and Aoyama still lives in the shadow of Mashiro and Sorata. Miyahara decides to finally make a decision. MiyaharaXAoyama


_Author's Note: This epilogue follows the end of the anime. This is, by no means, relevant to any part of the Light Novel after that. POV Miyahara._

* * *

Graduation. The skies were hardly as blue as they were last year: in fact, they were a dull gray.

"Haaa... To think that just like that, another year has flown past," I sighed to myself, picking up a cherry blossom pin from the students who were distributing them.

I spotted the usual trio walking by: Sorata, Mashiro and Aoyama. My heart instantly ached when I saw that nothing had changed. Aoyama was still just following the former two.

Anger struck me instantly. I clenched my fists, but released the tension shortly after. What could I do, after all? Part of me wanted to see that situation never change as well.

I went to the empty classroom for a brief farewell. Sliding open the door, nostalgia hit me as I realised that today was the last day I would step foot into this room. I sat at my usual seat, pretending for a while that I was still in a lesson.

"Huh? Miyahara-kun?" a voice spoke near the entrance of the classroom.

I looked up and saw Aoyama standing there alone.

"Ah, Nanami-san," I greeted. "Here to bid the place farewell too?"

Aoyama looked a little sheepish and nodded. Walking around the classroom slowly, she reached out to several objects, touching them tenderly with tears in her eyes.

"Where's Sorata and Mashiro-san?" I asked after observing her for a bit.

"They're... together," Aoyama replied shortly.

"Tch," I gritted my teeth at that response. Aoyama's wistful face only served to fuel my frustration.

"Hey, Nanami-san. When are you going to confess to Sorata?" I asked in a low voice.

"E-eh? What do you-" Aoyama stuttered, as though caught by surprise.

"That's enough, isn't it?"

Aoyama looked genuinely confused at my irrational anger. "I don't-"

"How long more are you going to make excuses for? It's already graduation day."

Aoyama looked taken aback at my statement. She dropped all pretences and stared at the floor.

I continued, "You're not going to leave with such regrets, are you..? Hey, Nanami-san, tell me you're going to do it today." Before I knew it, my voice began to break and my eyes were covered with a film of tears.

Silence fell between us. When I realised that Aoyama wasn't going to respond, I said, "Tell me: what did I wait a whole year for? Ever since I confessed to you last year, I thought that you had made up your mind to go for Sorata seriously. A year has passed, and nothing happened."

In my frustration, I slammed the desk and stood up, yelling, "TELL ME!"

"...you're right," Aoyama responded quietly. "I didn't have the courage to do it. I just couldn't tear Kanda-kun and Mashiro-san apart. Mashiro-san's my good friend! I can't do such a thing to her!"

My hand dropped weakly. "You're joking, right? That's why you gave up? That's why you were content to just... look at their backs?"

"Do you think I had it easy? I had to face them every day, even though I knew I didn't stand a chance! 'If only Mashiro-san had left...' Do you know how guilty I feel every time that crosses my mind?!" Aoyama screamed.

In the end, we were simply toyed around by fate. The world was simply unfair that way.

Having spent all my pent up frustration, I slowly sank back into my seat.

"Are you kidding me? I never had a chance, did I? Even though I tried my best. All I could ever become is simply the guy who watches at the side, unable to help even though the girl he loves is in so much pain constantly.

"Do you know how much pain I felt when I see you in their shadow every day?" I gave Aoyama a bitter smile. "But _I_ would never let it all end like this. I don't ever want to look back upon this day and think, 'If only I had brought up the courage to confess.'."

Having heard my words, Aoyama's eyes widened. At that instant, I knew that I had gotten the message across. Whatever chance I had remaining just vanished. Determination returned to Aoyama's eyes, and I knew that she would finally do it. But just as I had told Aoyama, I didn't want to have any regrets.

"I love you, Aoyama. I have loved you for two years, and this may be the final chance that I have to tell you that."

Aoyama looked at me and replied without hesitation, "Thank you, Miyahara-kun. Thank you for opening my eyes. And I'm really sorry." With that, she ran out of the classroom.

I thought that would happen. Was I really alright with this? After spending another fifteen minutes in my seat staring into blank space, I got up. The graduation song had already begun.

"It hurts so much I really wanna die..." I muttered. Forget graduation, this whole day had just gone beyond salvation.

I left the school and never returned after that.

* * *

"So, did you confess to Sorata after all?" I asked Aoyama.

"I did. Even though I was rejected, I felt free. It was like a heavy weight had finally been lifted off me. I'm glad that I took your advice, Daichi. I dread to think what would have happened had I not done it," Aoyama replied.

The two of us sat in the chapel, watching Sorata lift the veil off Mashiro's headdress.

"I guess... It all turned out all right, after all," I said, touching Aoyama's belly.

In response, she grabbed my hand and gripped it firmly in acknowledgement.

* * *

 _Afterword: Thank you for reading! Everyone in Sakurasou got a pairing with the exception of Aoyama, and I thought, 'Hey, Miyahara isn't such a bad guy.' Hope it was worth something!_


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